Chapter 5
Bash parked his Land Rover next to the barn, feeling a bit like Dorothy when she crashed in The Land of the East. No witch under me, but I’m next to a red barn surrounded by endless potatoes? Wheat? Barley? Cal had told him what his grandparents grew at Thistlestone Ranch, but he couldn’t remember. And as the fifth generation of Buchanans to farm this land, land Cal was proud of, Bash should have retained what his roommate said. See? This is the stuff Coach wants you to pay attention to. But, in his defense, he asked Cal how everything was when he came back from Thistlestone on Tuesdays, their traditional day off, but if their playing didn’t improve, they’d lose a portion of that.
The Tetons, a young franchise starting their fourth year, were one-and-two for the season. Not where they wanted to be, but Bash was optimistic. Most of the players were inexperienced or at the end of their careers, but there was a lot of untapped potential in the group. Bash knew the plays and, for the most part, his team executed them in practice. When he had a few brain cells firing at night, he drafted plays he wanted them to try. They capitalized on a few hidden talents his teammates had. One running back had been the QB on his high school team, and another was faster than he looked. A few surprise plays at critical times could lead to more wins.
And since Lucas and Cal had smoothed the way for him, talking him up behind his back, the team might be open and supportive of his ideas. Because of their PR work, most of the team thought of Bash as reserved and shy, but there were a few who still considered him to be a stuck-up prick. It should bother him, but it didn’t.
He leaned against Rover and felt the tension build. He hated these events, although technically speaking, watching Cal’s sister, Maggie, bake in front of an audience of his teammates in the Buchanan farm kitchen wasn’t really an event. I’d rather be home reading, but Lucas had said it’s what friends do, and he’d mentioned there’d be food. So here he was, surrounded by farmland and chickens, supporting Maggie and Lucas with his crazy rehearsal plan.
His roommate had the hots for their other roommate’s sister. He hoped Lucas knew what he was doing as he watched a few teammates approach the large, whitewashed farmhouse with its wide porch and various containers filled with red geraniums and colorful petunias.
“Yo.” Bash turned his head as Lucas jogged up to him, carrying a bouquet. “Did you know there’s a chicken sitting on Rover’s hood?”
“She’s a pretty thing, isn’t she? I didn’t know chickens could fly, but by the time she made it up here, I didn’t have the heart to chase her away. But”—he pointed at the chicken—“if there’s one scratch or any shit on my car, I’m making Gordon Ramsay’s famous roast chicken.” The chicken squawked and bobbed her head, and Lucas chuckled.
“Come on, city slicker, let’s go before you start making deals with the other animals,” Lucas said, turning toward the house.
“You didn’t need to bring me flowers.” Bash nodded at the colorful bunch.
“Good thing I didn’t then,” Lucas said, running his free hand through his damp hair.
“Were we supposed to?” Bash knew flowers were acceptable for dates and a bottle of wine or chocolates as a hostess gift for dinner parties, but he didn’t know country etiquette.
“No, I just wanted to say thank you to Maggie’s grandma, Barbara, for helping pull all of this together so quickly.”
“Barbara, huh? You sure?” He opened the door.
“Shut up, Bash,” Lucas muttered as they stepped into the kitchen and the screen door smacked behind them. Cal waved them over to a small huddle of people.
“This is my dad, Cal or Four,” Cal said, introducing them. “And my mom, Alison, and Aunt Elspeth, and you both remember Penny.” The shopgirl who doesn’t like me. His grandparents joined them, and Cal made introductions again. Bash wanted to know more about their weird family names, calling the men by numbers, but that would require making small talk, and it was easier to stand there and let the inane conversation float around him than to join in. He’d join if it became interesting.
“I’m glad everyone could make it on such short notice,” Lucas said, handing Barbara the flowers, who beamed like a woman half her age.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Alison said. “I just wish we’d thought of it. This is exactly what Maggie needs.”
“Sometimes that girl needs a stick of dynamite under her to get her going, but once she does, watch out,” Four said. Silence descended on the group as Barbara and Alison moved into the kitchen to deal with the flowers. As the only common denominator, Cal should have kept the conversation going, but he was more than happy to soak up the silence and graze on the chips and salsa Barbara had set out. Bash looked around the kitchen, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, trying to think of something to say.
“So, who’s watching Get Lost?” Lucas asked Penny. “Or do you close early?” Asking the shopgirl about books was a safe topic, and Bash kicked himself for not thinking of it. From his perspective, talking about books was almost as good as reading them. Except she doesn’t think you’re a reader, he remembered, deciding to keep that nugget of information to himself. The last thing he wanted was for them to find common ground.
She was cute with her light red hair and the freckles across her nose. Tall and willowy, and the memory of her legs in those bike shorts had interrupted his thoughts more than once. Penny was the epitome of the quintessential small-town girl or girl next door, content to work for her aunt in this mini metropolis and live a quiet life. She was too sweet and too vanilla for Bash’s sophisticated tastes.
“We’re closed Thursday evenings for two book clubs.”
“Two? How does that work?” Lucas asked, before Bash could formulate a follow-up question. Bash would have been impressed with Lucas’s questions and faked interest if he wasn’t annoyed with his question-stealing roommate. There was no way Lucas Rodriguez was interested in how book clubs functioned, but Sebastian Vander Vetter was very interested.
“The Good for You book club meets in one corner and the Fun for You meets in another,” Penny said.
“And it isn’t hard to tell who belongs to each group,” Elspeth said with a wink. She explained the members cleaned up after themselves and put everything away. The club leaders each had a key, and she or Penny set the alarm system remotely after everyone had left. “We’ve been doing it for years.”
“Another one of Cascade City’s charms,” Bash said.
“We think so,” Elspeth said, accepting the compliment, but Penny looked like she’d sucked on a lemon.
“I think it’s great that—”
“Go get seats. I need to check on Maggie,” Lucas said, pulling Bash away from them.
“There’s lots of seats left. We could have talked longer.”
“And watch you dig a deeper hole. I don’t think so.” Lucas shook his head.
“What? It was a compliment. I thought people liked those.”
“When they’re said sincerely.”
“I was sincere.”
Lucas cocked his head. “But you sounded condescending and snobbish.”
Bash winced. He’d made it worse instead of better.
Maggie stood near the island, checking her supplies as the audience slowly trickled in. She looked pale and her hand shook slightly as the teammates in the front row chatted with her. “Fine. Check on Maggie and get her started before she passes out up there,” Bash said, moving toward the back row.
The book clubs sounded interesting, and he wanted to know more, especially if what he learned could help VV Pub. Dad would have had them eating out of his hand. Bash wished he had even one tenth of his dad’s charm. If he didn’t figure people out, he’d drive VV Pub out of business. How can I run a business if I can’t even get information from someone?
Bash watched them out of the corner of his eye, wondering how he could salvage the situation. Penny didn’t like him, and she probably wasn’t the brains behind the operation. Bash needed to talk to Elspeth and make amends with Penny. Her dislike of him might bias Elspeth. If he befriended Penny, she’d want to help him, and he’d reciprocate. After all, life was an endless game of you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
The room was filling quickly. He sprawled across two chairs and draped his arms across the two chairs in front of him. He felt stupid, but when he caught Elspeth’s eye and motioned at the two chairs in front of him with his head, she beamed and gave Penny a gentle shove toward him.
“How gallant. Thank you, Bash,” Elspeth said, before sitting down and pulling out her phone.
“Yes, thanks,” Penny said with a tight smile.
“You’re welcome.” Bash took a deep breath and channeled his inner nice guy. “And, for the record, I like Cascade City. I love how close it is to the mountains, how friendly everyone is, and there’s lots to do. It’s the best city I’ve been in.”
“Other than New York City.”
He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for being partial to his hometown, can you?”
“I guess not.”
Bash tugged at his collar and tried to smile as he thought of a way to keep the conversation going with Penny.
“Uncomfortable?” She tilted her head, assessing him.
“Not really. Why?” Bash asked, wondering if they were going to talk about the weather. He’d expected more out of her.
“Just seems like you’d be more comfortable in a three-star restaurant than a farm kitchen,” she teased, and some of the ice was missing from her previous smile.
I can do this.
“They both have their charms.” He leaned forward. “Tell me more about the book clubs.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Please.”
“What would you like to know?” Bash’s hopes dashed. She wouldn’t dump all her knowledge at his feet. Penny was going to make him work for it.
“How many are there?”
“It depends on the season.”
“What time do they meet?”
“Throughout the day.”
“How many people in each?”
“It varies.”
This is like verbal chess,Bash thought. Her evasive answers energized him.
“Cal mentioned one for teens. Is there just the one?” Penny looked surprised that he’d remembered. He leaned closer, eager for her answer and trying not to smile. Checkmate. He’d boxed her in, and she’d need to give him a definite answer.
“Usually.” She smirked, seeming to enjoy the game as much as he was. Bash noticed the twinkle in her brown eyes and noted she was very pretty when she wasn’t scowling at him. Staring into her eyes, he tried to think of another question, but couldn’t. His brain failed him. “Did you want to know anything else?”
He chuckled. “Yes, but I need to think of better questions.”
“You should check our website,” Elspeth said, turning to him. “It will give you all the basic information.” Bash pulled out his phone. “Not now,” she scolded. “It looks like Maggie’s finally starting.”
Maggie started her presentation, and Bash wished he’d slipped in an earbud so he could listen to a podcast while being held hostage. Penny was right, though. He was uncomfortable. Too many people in too small a space with not enough action going on. And the room was stuffy. He laid his phone on his thigh and opened the collection of travel essays he’s started reading a few nights ago.
Lucas hadn’t taken his eyes off Maggie, or their teammate, Marquess, in the front row, who teased and flirted with her. Bash caught the muscle twitch in Lucas’s jaw and remembered the slightly guilty look on his face when he sat down. “Seriously? You’re reading?” Lucas whispered.
“Keep your voice down.” He didn’t want Penny to know he was a reader. While it might have made her dislike him less, he enjoyed whatever it was they had going. “And you’re watching her enough for both of us.” Lucas crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. “Please tell me you didn’t kiss her when the two of you left the kitchen. Because even I know that’s monumentally stupid and a social rule you don’t break.”
Lucas shifted on the hard seat, saying, “Go back to your book.” Bash shrugged and turned back to the essays, but his mind wandered and worried. Lucas hadn’t answered him. If he hadn’t kissed Maggie, he would have said so, right? Or maybe he wasn’t a kiss-and-tell kind of guy, which was a rarity among most men he knew. Bash respected Lucas’s discretion, because the more he watched his roommate watch Maggie, he knew something had happened when they’d been alone. Bash didn’t care, as long as it didn’t ruin their dynamics—dare he think friendship?—both on and off the playing field.
Maggie pulled several cake rounds out of the refrigerator, explaining that she’d baked them earlier to save time. She dumped butter and sugar into the mixing bowl while the front row teasingly accused her of buying store bought cakes. She wiped her hands on her apron and stepped back to the counter, squaring her shoulders. “While I assemble the cake, why don’t you guys give me some pointers on how to handle being nervous.” No one said anything as the old kitchen clock ticked loudly.
“I focus on the football, and the sound of Bash’s count when I settle in,” Lucas admitted, saving her.
“I stare at the goal posts until the crowd goes out of focus and then I watch the ball,” the kicker added.
“I’m never nervous, unless I know I’m getting the ball. And then I’m nervous that I’ll tip off the other team with my nervousness, so I’m the last one who should be talking now,” Cal trailed off.
“Damn, Cal baby, you’re a hot mess,” Marquess said, turning back toward Maggie. “Me? I’m not nervous about anything. I got it all under control.”
Lucas muttered under his breath.
“I look at the back of the room,” Bash said, surprising everyone, including himself. “Especially during press conferences. Those are the worst.”
“What do you do during the games?” Maggie asked.
Bash felt his face heat. “I focus on Lucas’s ass.”
“You’re not the only one,” Barbara said, and the room erupted in laughter.
Lucas blushed and opened the patio door off the kitchen. The cool night breeze was a welcome addition. Even after being teased by everyone, Bash couldn’t help but notice Lucas’s ease around everyone. Lucas was the kind of guy who’d board a subway train and leave with half of the passengers inviting him to dinner. Slight exaggeration, but still. Everyone loved the guy. Cal was the same way. Their sunny dispositions warmed his chilly, grumpy one.
The timer beeped, and Maggie pulled something out of the oven that smelled almost as great as the look of her three-layer cake. As it cooled, she and Barbara sliced slivers of the cake and plated them. Penny arranged forks and napkins on the island while her dad, grandad, and Cal—or Four, Three, and Five in their crazy naming scheme—put the room back to rights.
Barbara clapped her hands and told everyone to come up and grab a plate. While she and Penny handed them out, Maggie cut the warm berry dessert and scooped a piece onto each plate. The meager samples disappointed Bash. They were delicious, but with the time invested, there should have been a bigger pay-off. He hung back as his teammates brought their empty plates to the sink, thanking Maggie and telling her which one she should make for the competition.
“Do you need a hand cleaning up?” Lucas asked, handing her his plate. It looked like he’d licked it clean. Cal stood behind him, looking anxious and shaking his head at Maggie. Bash didn’t blame him. They had an early practice the next day, and knowing Cal, he’d feel obligated to stay if Lucas did. And with her parents, grandparents, aunt and sister, there were already too many cooks, or cleaners, in the kitchen.
“We’re fine, but thank you.” Maggie plunged her hands into the soapy water and Bash moved toward the door.
“I’ll see you Saturday morning. I’ll be the one with the subpar sous chefs,” Lucas said as Cal shoved him toward the door.